Duke Energy Sponsoring Red Cross Preparedness Efforts in Florida

We are so appreciative of Duke Energy’s support for “Prepare Florida", said Linda Carbone, Chief Executive Officer for Florida’s West Coast Region and the Tampa Bay Chapter.

Posted March 26, 2014

The Duke Energy Foundation today presented a $50,000 donation to the American Red Cross “Prepare Florida” campaign from the Duke Energy Foundation. The funds will be used to support the three-year landmark campaign that will educate and empower hundreds of thousands of Floridians on how to take necessary action to care for themselves, their families and their neighbors during emergencies and will educate our citizens about what to expect during and after a disaster.

“We are so appreciative of Duke Energy’s support for “Prepare Florida,” said Linda Carbone, Chief Executive Officer for Florida’s West Coast Region and the Tampa Bay Chapter. “Educating our citizens about disaster preparedness is a essential and will help strengthen our ability to respond when disasters strike.”

The Duke Energy Foundation, along with employee and retiree volunteers, actively works to improve the quality of life in our communities, lending expertise in the form of leadership and financial support through grants to charitable organizations.

Prepare Florida will strengthen the Red Cross capabilities to respond to major disasters. Over the next three years, the Red Cross plans to increase its volunteer base of trained community leaders from 4,500 to 10,000. By expanding the communities’ capacity to provide food and shelter after a disaster, the Red Cross will increase its ability to serve and distribute meals by 100 percent—to 500,000 meals per day.

The Red Cross plans to train 500,000 citizens in lifesaving First Aid, CPR and AED skills. With community partners and coalitions, the Red Cross will provide Spanish and Creole-speaking communities with training in their own language. They will also introduce this critical lifesaving training to new communities and to groups of people who have not yet been exposed to this vital information.

Duke Energy Foundation makes charitable investments on behalf of Duke Energy, the largest electric power holding company in the United States with 7.2 million customers in six states. Over the foundation’s long history in local communities, it has identified focus areas that maximize the foundation’s dollars and guide the foundation’s giving. The foundation makes grants supporting the environment, economic development, education and community vitality.

About the American Red Cross:

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.